1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to license plate holders for vehicles, such as automobiles, trucks and buses, and more particularly to a grill mounted front license plate bracket
2. Description of the Related Art
Generally, vehicles such as automobiles, trucks and buses are required to display a license plate on the back, and in some instances the front of the vehicle. Various devices have been designed for holding license plates while attached to a vehicle. In general, the license plates are permanently fixed to the vehicle using fasteners. The license plate is general mounted in a license plate holder that is then secured to the vehicle using a fastening means through a set of holes in the body or bumper of the vehicle.
Many vehicles are not equipped with license plate mounts on the front of the vehicle. In some states, however, it is required by law to have license plates displayed on both the rear as well as the front of the vehicle. It is common for license plate mounting systems to be attached to the front of vehicles by drilling holes in the bumper or other suitable portion of the body of the vehicle and fastening the mounting system through the holes. Examples of common license plate mounts are provided in the following patent documents.
U.S. Design Pat. No. 460,394 to Wang discloses an ornamental design for an invertible plate frame and mounting adapter, as shown and described.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,835,563 to Hanstad discloses a license plate retainer. The disclosed invention is a display holder for a vehicle license plate having a rigid backing section and retainer flanges extending along the opposite longitudinal edges of the backing section.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,314,417 to Cain describes a motor vehicle registration plate holder. The registration plate holder consists of a backing member and a frame. The backing member is adapted for attachment to a motor vehicle. The backing member is attached to a motor vehicle fender by means of headed screws that are passed through slots in the backing member and bolted into the fender or other suitable position on the body of the vehicle. The frame is made from a plastic material and covers the periphery of the registration plate when located on the holder. The registration plate is secured between the frame and the backing member.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,406,490 to Torii et al. discloses a license plate holder at the rear panel of a vehicle. The license plate holder includes a plate holder member that affords a first flat surface portion and a pair of second flat surface portions. The license plate is mounted on the first surface portion, and illuminating lamps for the license plate are mounted on the second surface portions. The plate holder member is equipped with a plurality of through holes for receiving bolts that mount the license plate holder onto the rear panel of the vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,445,291 to Easley discloses a license plate frame with detachable display panels. The license plate frame includes an upper member, a lower member, a pair of side members, a display panel and a retaining means. The display panel further includes a display portion and a retaining portion. The license plate is interposed between the bumper of a car and the license plate frame. The license plate and frame are secured to the car using a system of brackets and threaded screws.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,657,296 to Nishii et al. discloses a license plate mounting device in the front bumper of an automobile. The present invention comprises an improved front bumper with an elongated main body with a pair of recesses receding rearwardly of the vehicle body. A pair of rectangular caps, having substantially the same dimensions as the recesses, are placed in the recesses to provide a smooth continuous outer surface for the bumper. Two holes extend through the license plate, the rectangular caps and the recesses and are adapted to receive a pair of fastening bolts to secure the license plate to the bumper.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,813,640 to Koch et al. discloses a removable license plate holder and mounting system. The mounting system includes a mounting bracket having a horizontal base portion adapted to extend underneath an overhanging portion of a vehicle, such as a bumper or grillwork. The base portion provides a means for adapting the license plate holder to a variety of vehicles. The mounting system further includes fasteners that are adapted to interact with holes in the horizontal underside of the portion of the vehicle to which the bracket will be mounted.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,167,645 to Gasko et al. describes a license plate bracket for mounting a license plate to the grill of an automobile. The bracket includes a pair of resilient hooks for securing the bracket to the grill. The hooks replace hardware such as screws and bolts which are incompatible with the thin plastic ribs found on modern vehicle grills. The entire bracket, including the hooks, is made of a single piece of plastic molding.
Many car owners do not wish to drill holes into the bumper or other portion of the body of their automobiles. Therefore what is needed is a front license plate mounting system that allows a license plate to be secured to the body of a vehicle without creating holes in, or otherwise damaging, the body of the automobile. What is further needed is a license plate mounting system that can be attached to the front grill of any common vehicle. What is still further needed is a front grill license plate mounting system that is easily attached to and released from a vehicle.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singularly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed. Thus a grill mounted front license plate bracket solving the aforementioned problems is desired.
The present invention is a grill mounted front license plate bracket for mounting a license plate to the front of a vehicle. The grill mounted front license plate bracket comprises at least two mounting plates, a plurality of fasteners and a plurality of spacing rods. In the preferred embodiment of the present invention the license plate bracket comprises a front and a center mounting plate. The mounting plates are equipped with a pair of holes that extend from the front side of each mounting plate and out through the rear side of each mounting plate. The pair of holes is adapted for receiving a fastener.
The spacing rods are located between the front mounting panel and the center mounting panel. The spacing rods extend the front mounting panel past the front surface of the vehicle so as to not rub against the front of the vehicle. The fastener passes through the holes on the front of the front mounting panel. The fastener then extends through the spacing rods, the center mounting panel, and the grill of the vehicle. Holes are created in the grill of the vehicle to receive the fasteners. Fastener engaging means receive the ends of the fasteners after they pass through the rear side of the vehicle grill to secure the fasteners inside of the mounting panel holes.
A second pair of holes is located through the front mounting plate. The second pair of holes is adapted to receive a pair of license plate fasteners that mount a standard license plate to the front surface of the front mounting panel. Once the grill mounted front license plate bracket is secured to the vehicle, a license plate is then fastened to the front mounting panel of the bracket. Optionally, a license plate frame may be secured to the front of the license plate and the front mounting panel as well.
In a second embodiment of the present invention, the grill mounted front license plate bracket further comprises a back mounting plate. The back mounting plate is located on the rear side of the vehicle grill.
Accordingly, it is a principal object of the invention to provide a front license plate bracket that may be secured to the front grill of any common vehicle.
It is another object of the invention to provide a front license plate bracket that is easily secured to and released from the grill of any common vehicle.
It is a further object of the invention to provide a means for attaching a license plate to the front of any common vehicle without having to drill holes into, or otherwise damage, the body of the vehicle.
Still another object of the invention is to provide a license plate bracket with a means for preventing the license plate from coming into contact with the front of the vehicle.
It is an object of the invention to provide improved elements and arrangements thereof for the purposes described which is inexpensive, dependable and fully effective in accomplishing its intended purposes.
These and other objects of the present invention will become readily apparent upon further review of the following specification and drawings.